Designing a Clinical Pharmacy Residency Programme for Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria

The absence of a structured post-graduate clinical pharmacy residency pathway in Nigeria limits the development of specialist clinical pharmacy workforce needed to support advanced pharmaceutical care in teaching hospitals. This study designed a clinical pharmacy residency programme framework for Nigerian teaching hospitals, drawing on practice needs assessments in all six geopolitical zones. A programme development methodology encompassing systematic competency needs analysis, international residency programme benchmarking, stakeholder consultation, and expert validation was adopted. An online survey of 120 hospital pharmacists assessed competency gaps, training preferences, and perceived barriers to advanced clinical training. Focus group discussions at six teaching hospitals across the North Central, South West, and South East zones explored programme design preferences among pharmacist practitioners and clinical faculty. Benchmarking examined ASHP accreditation standards for pharmacy practice residencies and West African postgraduate pharmacy training models. The residency framework designed encompasses a 12-month PGY1 general clinical pharmacy residency (with rotations across medicine, surgery, critical care, paediatrics, and infectious disease) and a proposed 12-month PGY2 specialisation track in oncology, cardiology, or infectious disease. Programme standards, preceptor qualifications, trainee evaluation methods, and accreditation criteria are specified. A steering committee of 18 stakeholders validated the programme design. The study recommends the framework be adopted by the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists as a formal postgraduate training pathway for clinical pharmacy in Nigeria.

Keywords: clinical pharmacy residency, postgraduate training, teaching hospitals, Nigeria, pharmaceutical care education